INT’L PARTNERSHIPS. Trade Secretary Cristina Roque delivers her speech at the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in the House of Representatives on Feb. 4, 2025. Also in the photo is Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum chairperson and former US Congressman Robert Pittenger. (Photo courtesy of DTI) The Philippines sees its expanding international collaborations, as part of its policies to strengthen trade…
BMI, a Fitch Solutions unit, expects consumer spending to continue to grow this year, driven by strong economic growth. “We hold a positive outlook for consumer spending in the Philippines, with an acceleration in real household spending growth — from 5.0% in 2024 to 5.3% in 2025,” BMI said in a recent report. “In real…
READING ACTIVITY. Learners from public schools in Albay participate in the World Read Aloud Day celebration organized by the Albay Provincial Library and Information Center (APLIC) at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall on Wednesday (Feb. 5, 2025). World Read Aloud Day is a global campaign that advocates for literacy and strives to make reading and writing…
VIRAC, Catanduanes – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station here has recently prohibited small sea vessels from sailing in the northern and eastern coasts of Catanduanes. The PCG Station has issued an advisory suspending the venture of all watercraft with a gross tonnage of 250, fishing boats, and other small watercraft due to the strong gale-force winds…
NEW BUILDING. Porac, Pampanga’s new municipal hall is inspired by the iconic US Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The PHP370-million building, whose construction started in 2021, was inaugurated on Wednesday (Feb. 5, 2025). (Photo from Pampanga PIO Facebook) By Marna Dagumboy Del Rosario PORAC, Pampanga – This Pampanga town recently its newly constructed municipal hall, the design…
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has urged local government units (LGUs) to embrace open governance and join the Open Government Partnership (OGP) program. At the recent 2025 OGP Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting Opening Plenary in Taguig City, Pangandaman reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to the OGP principles of transparency, accountability, and…
The Department of Education (DepEd) has partnered with the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to electrify last mile schools in the country. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara underscored the urgency of the partnership deal to ensure the learner’s welfare amid the Marcos administration’s electrification programs for off-grid schools. “Now power is a basic need. If we don’t…
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has extended the term of Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil by four months via a memorandum order dated Feb. 4, 2025, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. Marbil was supposed to retire on February 7, 2025 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56. Earlier,…
DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa Lazaro (right) and UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Indo-Pacific) Catherine West MP (Photo courtesy of DFA) By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora The Philippine government hopes to sign a number of new agreements with the United Kingdom ahead of the 80th anniversary of their bilateral relations next year….
PIONEER. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. speaks at the 2025 Open Government Philippines Asia and the Pacific Regional Meeting in Taguig City on Thursday (Feb. 6, 2025). In his speech, President Marcos said the New Government Procurement Act has made the Philippines a “leading model of transparency in Asia and a pioneer in open governance in the…
